CITY POLICE CASES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1416, 11 January 1879, Page 10

CITY POLICE CASES.

The following cases were disposed of at the City Police Court during the week : — Forgery. — Hyam L. Metz was charged on remand with having, on or about June 11 last, forged a bill of exchange for £33 12s. — The prisoner was undefended.— George William Eliott, insurance and commission agent, deposed : I know the prisoner. In January, 1878, I discounted two bills for him— £3l 15s each. One was due on April 10, the other on May 10 following. The one due in April was paid ; that due in May was not.. He renewed that for a month. The renewal fell due on June 12. I declined another application for renewal unless he rendered a

satisfactory endorsement. He then said ha would get it endorsed by his father. The bill produced and marked "A" was brought to me by the prisoner, with the signatures purporting to be those of his father. In July or August, when I found the prisoner had left the place, I saw Mr Metz, sen. From what transpired at our interview I laid a, criminal information against the prisoner. I the prisoner by cheque in consideration of the bills, and my account at the Bank has been debited with the amount. — Lion Metz deposed tbat he was residing at Christchurch. The signatures on the bill marked "A" produced were not his, and he supposed he must take them as forgeries. He did not know of any other Lion Metz besides himself. — This was the case for the prosecution, and the last witness wished to make an explanation regarding the prosecution in the case, but the Bench said they could not permit it. — Prisoner was committed for trial. Larceny. —William Littlejohn appeared before tne Court on a charge of stealing a piece of timber, valued at 6d, the property of J. G. F. Willington. As his intellect appeared to be weak, he was remanded for medical examination. Rowdyism.— Archibald Muirhead, a cabdriver, was charged with having conducted himself in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace on the Ist inst. — According to the evidence of Detective Bain, the accused was in the thickest part of a crowd of persons who threw stones, flour, and behaved themselves in a very disorderly manner about one o'clock on New Year's morning.— The prisoner denied having thrown stone 3or otherwise misbehaved himself, but the Bench held that as he was mixed up in the crowd he was culpable, and fined him 40s, in default seven days' imprisonment. — James Smith and William M'Quire, two other cab-drivers, charged with a similar offence, received the same sentence. — William Gawn, a carter, was charged with behaving himself in a disorderly manner on the morning of the Ist inst. —Detective Henderson stated that" on the morning in question the accused collected around him some of the lowest larrikins he could find, and was conducting himself in a most 'riotous manner. He had his coat off, and attacked all who approached him.' He also threw stones and flour about— Detective Bain also gave evidence. — His Worship inflicted & penalty of L 5, in default, one month's impriment, with bard labour. • Neglected Children.— Robert M'Lintuck (two years) and Jessie M'Lintuck (four years) were brought before the Court &s neglected children 'by their mother, who stated that her husband' had deserted her and gone to New South Wales, and she was anxious to take a situation.— The children were committed to the Industrial School for seven years, on the understanding that the mother be permitted to take them out when she was in a position to maintain them. ' ' An Impudent Theft, — Thomas M'Donald was charged with stealing a music-box, valued at 7s, the property of Lo Keong. It appeared from the evidence given, that the window of Mr Lo Keong's toy shop In the Royal Aroade wag broken on New Year's Eye, and the accused was seen early next morning taking the music-box out of one of the holes in the window.— A sentence of one month's impvisonment was inflicted. A boy named James dimming; ayed 16 years of age. was charged with assaulting Constable O'Shea while in the execution of his duty, by striking him on the head with a stone, on the 31st December. . The accused pleaded uui'ty. His Worship said the practice of stone-throwing was becoming a serious matter, and he had seen examples of it himself. ' The circumstances in that case called for seve.'e punishment, and it was a matter of regret that the prisoner's age did not allow him to be flagged. He would be sentenced to two months' imprisonment with haid abour. A young man, named Samuel Collins, pleaded guilty to a charge of conducting himself in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace on New Tear's Eve. He had been amusing himself by running against people going along Princes street with a wheelbarrow. Me was fined 40s, or seven days' imprisonment. A little boy, named Thomas A. Fuller, for throwing flour at Inspector Mallard, on New Year's Eve, wad floed 10s, or three days' imprisonment. Andersm pleaded to a charge of provoking a b<each of the peace.— Detective Neill deposed that at half-past one on New Year's morning he saw the prisoner among a disorderly crowd taking a very active part in riotous proceedings, including the rolling of casks along the streets. Witness cautioned him to go home, but he would not do so.— Inspector Milliard deposed that he was on duty from eleven o'clock on Tuesday night till half-past .three on Wednesday m >rning, with all the available police. The conduct of the people assembled in the streets of the town was, he thought he fairly could say, worse than ever he had seen before.. The accused w-ib one of the ringleaders ; f the crowd. Witness told him to go home two or three time?. Upon one occasion, when the crowd was shifting, prieoner oame and deliberately jostled up against him. Whilst going up the cutting in Princes street wiih Sergeant Anderson witness was hit by one of the crowd with as-one on ihp head H* waa stunned for the moment, and when the crowd moved on a l>ttle further where th« l'ght shone on them, he observed the prisoner, who again objected to go home, and witness insiructet constable fewer to arrest him —His Worship, in fining the prisoner £5 with an alternative <>f going to gaol for •14 days said any person along with a crowd engaged in unlawful proceedings was guilty, although he might not be identified by the police at having donu an unlawful act. The conduct of the people descrbed by the police in that instance was deserving of the greatest reprehension, and as far as lios iv his puwer he should put it down. A Waif.— A little boy aged eleven years mmcd William Edwards, who ttates that ha has been deserted by his patents, was sent to the Industrial School for four years. Vagrancy.— Annie Driscoll, charged with soliciting .■lran at Kaveusbjurne, was convicted and discharged. Damaging Property.— William Davis and Edward Shannon were brought up on remind and cha'gt-d with damaging the property of Ah Ming to the extent of £s.— Edmund Smith, agent for the Austialian Mutual Provident Society, gave evidence as to the prisoner Davis's good character. He vtai in witness's employ, and was one of the last he, believed who ■would promote rowdyism.^— His Wort-hip gad the evidence was conclusive against the piisonors, but it might be a very good thing that they were caught and checked in the beginning 1 before they went from bad to worse. If it had not been for the previous good character of Davis he would have sentenced them to imprisonment without the option of a fine. They would e«ich be fined 60s, and 20s compensation for the damage d»ne. Vaqrancy.— viizibeth Powell, Margwet Cam bell, and Susannah Philips were, sentenced to one month's impri onment ; Alice Burnelland Henry Hasss.l *ere dischari/pd ; Ellen Burton was sentenced to three months' imprisonment ; and Ellen Adams to a fortnight's imprisonment.